District 11 Wrestling Previews

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Time to turn the page, with most schools opening tonight or tomorrow. District 11 is loaded this year, with five of the top seven in the state in 3A, and five preseason #1 ranked wrestlers in Pennsylvania. Going to be a very fun and competitive year. Here are some team capsules.

 

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Bethlehem Catholic
Head Coach: Mike Cole (2nd Season)

2023-24: State Dual Champions, D11 Dual Champions, D11, NE Regional, and PIAA State Tournament Champions

Lineup (with preseason state ranking)
107: #8 Nico Emili (Fr. Easton): PJW5
114: Andre Cerrato (Fr. Nazareth): JH4
121: Louden Hower (So. 16-18, Quakertown): D6
127: #1 Keanu Dillard (Jr. 41-5, Nazareth; Lehigh): D1, R1, S1/1, 1
133: #10 Reef Dillard (So. 34-14, Nazareth): D2, R2, SQ
139: #6 Ryder Campbell (Sr. 29-11 Palisades): D3, R2, SQ
145: Mason Thomas (So. 14-15, Whitehall): D6
152: #4 Marco Frinzi (Sr. 37-16, Quakertown; Columbia): D2, R2, S6
160: #7 Charlie Scanlan (Sr. 36-11, Freedom): D2, R3, SQ
172: #6 Shane McFillin (Sr. 40-9, Northampton; Bucknell): D1, R1, S4
189: #7 James DeLuise (Sr. 27-10 Bangor; Bloomsburg): D3, R2, S7
215: #22 Connor Gillahan (So. 7-2, Upper Perkiomen/Faith Christian)
285: Grant Mulhearn (Jr. 3-12, Southern Lehigh)

Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: #7 Keanu Dillard (127)

The Standouts: Keanu Dillard is halfway to being D11’s second four-time state champion. He was on the U16 World Team, where he won a bronze medal this summer, he’s one of the best lightweights in America. Frinzi burst onto the scene in his first year as a varsity starter to medal at states. McFillin is a state title contender after nearly making finals as a junior. Scanlan was a beast of the East finalist and can wrestle as well as anybody on the right day. A more consistent postseason could have him in the title mix as he looks for his first state medal. Emili is a Fargo medalist and one of the best freshman in the state. His dad was a state finalist at Northampton in the ‘90s. DeLuise is an explosive upper weight who has battled injuries. A healthy season could have him contending at 189.

Who’s Next: Emili should be in the mix statewide right away at 107 in a great weight class locally. Cerrato is an exciting freshman from a good feeder system in Nazareth. Reef Dillard qualified for states as a freshman and really came on at the end of the year. Gillahan earned matches in the Faith Christian lineup as a freshman, he’ll be a full time starter and a good one here.

Lineup Flexibility: AJ Gomez is another great freshmen lightweight who was a d11 champ and he’lll battle Cerrato for the 114 spot all year and they can use both to bump their lineup.

Question Marks: Heavyweight has been a concern with Becahi for the last few years and this will be no exception. Mulhearn is out for the early part of the year with an injury, and you may see them move the lineup around to cover heavyweight with Gillahan. Hower and Thomas both have a lot to prove coming into their sophomore seasons as well.

The Schedule: Becahi travels to Ironman this weekend in Akron, Ohio, consistently the toughest high school tournament in America. They also have tournament trips to Beast of the East and Escape the Rock, so they’ll hit the two best tournaments on the East Coast as well. Dual dates loom with Northampton (12/11), Notre Dame (1/4), and Easton (1/8), before getting into the postseason schedule. They’ll be battled tested.

Outlook: Even without Kollin Rath, their two-time state champ who has opted to spend his senior season at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Bethlehem Catholic is the solid favorite to repeat as state champions this year. It’s a deep and balanced lineup with one major star (Keanu Dillard) and lots of very solid, state medalist level wrestlers. They lost their first dual to a Pennsylvania team in five years last season when Easton took them down in January, but avenged that loss in District and State finals. they’ll be pushed locally by Nazareth, Easton, and Northampton, but expect them to come out on top.

 

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Easton Red Rovers
Head Coach: Jody Karam (5th season)

2023-24: State Duals 2nd, EPC Champions, D11 Duals Runner Up, D11 Tournament 2nd and NE Regionals 3rd, PIAA States 31st

Lineup
107: Gavyn Mindler (Fr.):JH8
114: Brayden Abrams (Sr.)
121: #4 Nick Salamone (Jr. 34-9): D1, R1, S8/ 7, 8
127: #12 Noah Fenner (So. 38-5) D3, R5
133: Ethan Krazer (So. 22-16)
139: #7 Chris Kelly (Sr. 35-11): D2, R3, SQ
145: Brendan Bowman (Sr.): JV1
152: Evan Carss (So. 3-4): JV1
160: #12 Quentin Hammerstone (Sr. 30-17): D4, R5
172: #15 Justin Cosover (So. 30-14): D2, R4, SQ
189: #9 Shae Linegar (Sr. 39-11): D2, R3, SQ
215: #8 Kurtis Crossman (Jr. 38-12): D2, R3, SQ
285: Alonzo Parker (So.): JH2/Dan Vargas (So.): JH2/Isiah Cabin (Sr.)

The Standouts: Salamone has a pair of state medals and is poised to break through the barrier he’s hit in state quarters the last two years. Time for him to jump levels to a high state/national caliber kid. Fenner was their most consistent wrestler last year, lost a wrestle off for the post season at his natural weight to Salamone, bumped up to 116 and was a match away from states. Could explode as a sophomore. Kelly has consistently been a state level kid, a little more consistency gets him an elusive first state medal, though his weight class in D11 is loaded, with four of the top seven wrestlers in the state. Cosover is a monster in training, tremendous freshman year, not a lot of ninth graders make states at a weight like 170. As he adds some man strength, he’s a major problem. Could be a state champ in the next three years. Linegar was maybe the most improved wrestler in the state last year, going from a JV sophomore to nearly winning 40 matches and finishing a match away from the podium in Hershey. And Crossman also had a breakout sophomore year as an underclassmen at 215 going to states. He’s coming off of a tremendous football season and has added a ton of strength, should contend for a medal.

Who’s Next: Evan Carss was a junior high district champ and pinned his way through the JV tournament last year. He suffered a football injury that kept him from getting down to a weight where he could challenge for a starting spot last year as a freshman. Fully healthy, he could be a revelation. Hammerstone is a D1 lacrosse player who made a huge jump as a junior, finishing a match away from states after being a sub .500 sophomore.

Unexpected Contributors: Jody Karam is one of the best in the country at turning mediocre wrestlers into good ones (see Hammerstone and Linegar last year). Brendan Bowman and Krazer are the guys to watch jumping levels here. Bowman has been blocked for three years and has spot started up a bunch of weight. He’s finally in the right spot with a solid lineup slot. He could blossom. Ethan Krazer competed up two weights from his natural 107 last year (blocked by Salamone and Fenner) and held his own at 121. He’s put on good weight and hit a little growth spurt to be ready at 127/133 this year. Both of his brothers were state qualifiers and his sister is one of the best girls in America. He’s received a ton of praise from Karam in the preseason.

Question Marks: 107 and 114 are going to be manned by a lot of inexperience. They’ll need Abrams and Mindler to compete and grow. My guess is everybody comes down for the postseason, with Salamone coming down to 114 and Mindler going to 107. Heavyweight will also be an adventure, with Isiah Cabin a senior who has grinded through the program, Vargas a sophomore who started wrestling last year and had a great freshman season in junior high (24-1; D11 runner-up), but it's a massive jump from junior high to varsity wrestling at heavyweight. Alonzo Parker is a great athlete, but wrestling is his third sport (lacrosse and football), and he’s more of a 215. My guess is Parker will be the guy and they’ll play match ups with Crossman and Parker between 215 and heavy.

The Future: This is Jody Karam’s last year at Easton. He’d accomplished his goal of getting his Alma mater back to state prominence, and he’s been a bridge coach, likely to assistant coach Corey Keener. Keener will have one of the best freshman classes in the state coming in next year, as the Rovers have a massive wave of 8th graders who can be ready right away in 2025-26.

Lineup Flexibility: They can use Crossman at heavyweight, he’s got the power and athleticism to do damage there in duals with Parker more natural at 215. As the postseason approaches, Salamone through Carss all may come down. Freshman Wyatt Snyder is the flexibility option at 139/145 in the middle if they want to move guys, and may be the 152 insert as the season goes on.

The Schedule: Easton was an excellent dual team last year, but didn’t have the high end firepower to do a ton of damage in individual tournaments. This year, they are entered in Beast of the East for the first time since 1999 (one of the best tournaments in the country), Escape the Rock replaces the Boyertown dual tournament on the schedule, and they open the season next week with Top Hat in Williamsport. That says to me Karam thinks Fenner, Salamone, Cosover, are jumping levels to compete there, and some of the other individuals (Kelly, Linegar, Hammerstone, Crossman) can also do some damage. This may be a better tourney team this year. They also have duals with Nazareth, Bethlehem Catholic, and Phillipsburg that are major schedule highlights. Nazareth on December 11th will be a huge measuring stick right away, while P’Burg on January 25th will be a madhouse as Easton tries to break their last long losing streak after last years incredible 25-25 dual, decided on 5th criteria for a P’Burg win.

Ceiling: The Red Rovers will be in th mix for D11 and state duals championships. They’re probably a step behind Becahi, but right in the mix with Nazareth, Northampton, and Notre Dame for the other D11 state tournament spot. If some kids take jumps, particularly the two sophomores, they could be a dangerous tournament team.

 

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Nazareth Blue Eagles

Head Coach: Dave Crowell (22nd season at Nazareth, 601-146-1 career record at Nazareth/Wilson/Easton)

Last Season: 14-2, 8-1; District 11 Tournament 3rd, NE Regional Tournament 2nd, PIAA State Tournament 2nd

Lineup
107: #11 Derek Fulmer (Jr. 22-15): D5, R6
114: Mikey Good (So.)
121: #9 Remy Trach (Sr. 26-16): D3, R4, SQ
127: #23 Cooper Wenrich (So. 26-13): D5
133: Matteo Martincavage (So.): JV2
139: #2 Jack Campbell (Jr. 37-8): D1, R1, S5
145: #1 Tahir Parkins (Sr. 42-5; Rutgers): D1, R1, S1
145: Chase Brown (Fr.): JH1, PJW4
152: Dominick Tunison (Jr. 14-13)
160: #8 Cade Campbell (Jr. 27-9): D2, R3, SQ
172: #23 Elijah Simak (Jr. 27-13): D4
189: #6 Brayden Zuercher (Jr.): D1, R2, SQ
215: Vinny Giacobbe (Sr. 11-16)
215: Austin Christine (So.): JH1
285: Jacob Cozze (Sr.)

Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: #6 Tahir Parkins (139)

The Standouts: Parkins is a returning state champion and one of the top wrestlers in the country. He’s really blossomed, and absolutely dominated the postseason as a junior. Expect him to contend in their national events for titles and he’s a strong favorite to repeat at states. The Campbell twins, Jack and Cade, are both returning qualifiers with Jack earning his first medal last year. Jack is the best in the loaded D11 group at 139. Zuercher had an enviable sophomore season at 172 and has put on good weight to be a potential high medalist at 189. He’s a really good athlete who has thrived as an underclassman.

Who’s Next: Simak is an exciting talent, who really came on as his sophomore year progressed. Did not have the postseason he wanted, but he’s really athletic and a tough match up. Wenrich held his own as a freshman, and Nazareth kids have a habit of making big jumps in year two. One to watch. Trach was a surprise state qualifier, if he can use that momentum he’ll give Nazareth another lineup anchor. And Chase Brown may not get to really compete until Tahir Parkins drops to 139 for the postseason, but Brown is one of the more exciting freshmen in D11. Crowell also really likes Christine at 215, who could make a push to unseat Giacobbe.

Question Marks: Cozze was a state champ in Junior High, but has’ not wrestled in a few years and came back out following Sean Kinney’s graduation. How quickly can he get back up to speed? The lightweights are also being sorted out, with Fulmer and Good the likely starters who both will need to grown up fast with a tough December schedule. Martincavage is also getting high praise from Crowell in the preseason, but has no varsity experience.

Lineup Flexibility: They can definitely use Brown in the middle to bump or drop for match ups.

The Schedule: An early season dual at Easton will be a huge measuring stick for both programs right away, and a trip to Northampton the following week will do the same. On the individual side, they’ll be at the Cumberland Valley Kickoff Classic, a solid PA focused tournament, before traveling to Beast of the East and the Bethlehem Hurricane Classic at the end of the month. They’ll take their annual trip to Virginia Duals in January, where they have won more than any other program in the event’s 30 year history.

Outlook: Nazareth lost an early season dual to Easton last year, which probably cost them a spot in State Duals, as it put them on the same side of the bracket as eventual state champ Bethlehem Catholic. They’re looking to avenge that loss and make it back to the state tournament, where they’ve been a staple in the last ten years. It’s a solid individual team too, with four likely state medalists plus a handful who have that potential. Maybe the second best team in the state, and certainly a strong contender for everything in front of them.

 

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Notre Dame (GP) Crusaders

Head Coach: Matt Veres

Last Season: D11 Duals Champions, D11 1st, SE Regional 2nd, PIAA States 5th (All AA)

The Lineup
107: #5 Cael Mueller (Fr. Catasaqua/Bethehem Catholic): JH1
114: Aiden Vanicky (Fr. Pleasant Valley): JH5
121: Jacob Volpe (So. 11-9)
127: #10 Cooper Feltman (Sr. 21-14 Easton): D1, R5, SQ
133: #13 Tanner Berkenstock (Sr. 23-18 Easton): D2, R4, S1
139: #5 Gavyn Kelton (Jr. 26-15 Bangor): D1, R4, SQ
145: #19 Jared Gonzalez (Jr. 13-12): D2
152: Stephen Bialek (Sr. 3-4)
160: #5 Keegan Ramsay (Sr. 34-12 Pleasant Valley): D1, R2, S3
172: #4 Dominic Sumpolec (Jr. 43-13 Northwestern Lehigh): D1, R3, S7
189: #10 Connor Smalley (Jr. 35-14 Northwestern Lehigh): D2, R3, RQ
215: Noah Knorp (So. 0-2)
285: John Hull (So.)

The Standouts: Sumpolec and Ramsey are a very exciting 1-2 punch in the middle of the lineup. Sumpolec was one of the best sophomores in Pennsylvania last year, and was the only person to take state champ Conner Harar to decision at the state tournament (3-0). He could really explode this year. Ramsay has been solid his whole career, and capped that with his highest state finish last season, though it finished with a bitter state semifinal loss to the opponent he beat for the D11 title. Muller is a two-time D11 junior high district champ, once for Catasauqua and once for Bethlehem Catholic, but came over to ND when Nico Emili decided to enroll at Becahi. He’ll be another major player in a loaded 107 weight class locally. Smalley was a state qualifier as a very undersized sophomore at 189, that is more of a natural weight for him and he could really be a contender.

Who’s Next: Mueller is the next individual star for the Crusaders. Kelton has steadily improved through the first half of his career, we’ll see how he continues to evolve in the jump to 3A. Vanicky is another junior high medalist getting a shot as a freshman.

Question Marks: Less on the individual side (though the top two weights are something to watch), but how does ND translate to moving up to 3A after getting forced up due to transfers. Sumpolec, Ramsay, and Muller all should be elite, but they have had a lot of kids move on in the postseason thanks to a relatively weak 2A field in the Lehigh Valley. Kelton, Feltman, Berkenstock, and Gonzalez have high state rankings based on 2A postseasons, we’ll see how it translates. Are those .500ish kids getting knocked out early in the postseason, or does the Notre Dame schedule prep them for the meatgrinder that is the 3A postseason.

Lineup Flexibility: Sumpolec and Ramsay still have not decided who will end up where between 160 and 172 and could be fluid based on matchups.

The Schedule: Notre Dame will join Becahi and Northampton out in Akron at Ironman next weekend, followed by Beast of the East and PowerAde (outside of Pittsburgh) for a brutally tough December. They also have Escape the Rock on the slate in January, giving them four of the best tournaments in America on their schedule. The dual season starts and ends with a January 4th date with Bethlehem Catholic.

Outlook: It’s an odd time for Notre Dame to move up classifications, as they do not have the incredible depth of talent they’ve had in the past. Still, their top end kids are very good and should be immediately successful in the higher classification. They may take some lumps in the team postseason as they now are locking horns with Nazareth, Easton, Northampton, and Becahi. But they’ll fit right in come individual time, particularly Sumpolec and Mueller, who can compete for a state title.

 

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Northampton Konkrete Kids

Head Coach: Joe Provini (3rd Season, 18-9)

Last Season: 9-6; D11 Tournament 4th, NE Regionals 4th, PIAA States 13th

Lineup
107: #1 Brayden Wenrich (Fr.): JH1, PJW1
114: Ryan Marano (Sr. 18-13)
121: #22 Colin Marano (Sr. 26-13): D4, R6
127: #3 Gabe Ballard (So. 41-3): D1, R1, S4
133: #1 Trey Wagner (Jr. 34-3; Navy): D1, R1, S1
133: Davi Glykas (So.): JH1
139: Matt Sommer (Jr. 5-3)
145: Carter Chlebove (Fr.): JH1
152: #16 Chase Grabfelder (Jr. 26-12): D4, R5
160: Parker Williams (Jr.): JH1
172: Logan Rusnock (Fr.)
189: Joell Small (So. 3-7)
215: Blayze Ibarra (So.)
285: #3 Gavin Grell (Sr. 29-11): D1, R4, SQ

Nationally Ranked Wrestlers: #7 Brayden Wenrich (107), #24 Gabe Ballard (121),

Standouts: Maybe the best set of stars in District 11. Trey Wagner is a returning state champion who is one of the best kids in Pennsylvania on top and should really benefit from the new backpoint rules. Ballard had an incredible freshman year, starting with a bronze medal at Beast of the East and win streak that lasted from Beast quarterfinals to State semifinals. He’s absolutely a title contender. Wenrich is the most highly anticipated freshman in D11 this year. After flirting with Faith Christian, he is in the orange and black, where he is an immediate state title contender and carries a top ten national ranking. Grell is one of the few state qualifiers returning at heavyweight and is the clear favorite locally with the graduation of Sean Kinney.

Who’s Next: Chlebove is a junior high district champ, whose brother and dad are both state champions for Northampton. He’s got a tough assignment as a freshman middle weight, but the talent is there. Grabfelder has been slowly improving in his two years on varsity, he may really break out as a junior.

Wildcard: Parker Williams was a junior high district champ as a freshman, then didn’t wrestle last year. He’s got the talent to stabilize 160 for the KKids if he can shake off the rust.

Lineup Flexibility: Davi Glykas allows them to move Wagner around for match ups. Glykas was a D11 junior high champ last season and is one of the more versatile guys they have.

Question Marks: The upper weights are going to make big-time duals tough for Northampton. Rusnock, Small, and Ibarra have limited experience and credentials, and are going to have to grow up fast for Northampton’s early season duals with Becahi and Nazareth.

The Schedule: Northampton will travel out to Ironman for the first time since the 1990s, where Wenrich, Ballard, and Wagner should make serious noise at the best high school tournament in America. They follow up their Ironman weekend with duals at Bethlehem Catholic and Nazareth before a Beast of the East trip the weekend before Christmas. Then they’ll stay local with the Bethlehem Hurricane Classic over Christmas break, one of the toughest Decembers of any high school program in America. Their duals ease up in January before their postseason run.

Outlook: It’s going to be a crazy December and a very fun March for the Konkrete Kids. They’re probably on the outside looking in at the D11 team tournament and making State Duals, but once the individual portion of the season starts, this is a team that may have three state champions, which puts them in rare air, and they easily could win the PIAA tournament on the strength of their four studs.

 

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Best of the Rest


Whitehall Zephyrs

Contenders
114: #4 Wilmont Kai (Jr. 39-7): D3, R2, S7
121: #11 Kade Pascoe (29-15): D5, R4, SQ
139: #13 Trokon Kai (Sr. 21-11): D5, R4, SQ
189: James Hopkins (Jr. 34-10): D4, R6
285: Justin Heckert (So. 6-3)

The Zephyrs have been sneakily competitive throughout the Tim Cunningham era, with another solid set of top end wrestlers this year. Kai was a state medalist last season in only his second year wrestling, avenging a NE Regional finals loss to Nick Salamone for 7th place. Pascoe and Kai’s brother Trokon also joined him in Hershey. Hopkins is a really exciting young upperweight, who had a bunch of success as a sophomore and missed Hershey by a match. Heckert was a junior high district champ at heavyweight, and got some varsity matches as a freshman and is poised to take over in a wide open heavyweight class as a sophomore.

Emmaus Green Hornets
Contenders
114: #1 Emilio Albanese (So. 41-8): D2, R3, S4
127: #13 Teagan Caciolo (So. 31-10): D3, R5
139: Xyler Salit (Fr.): JH1
160: #11 Jesse Scott (Sr. 30-13; Franklin & Marshall): D5, R5
172: #21 Xayden Sallit (Jr. 25-15): D5, R6

Albanese is the top ranked 114 pounder in the preseason after an excellent state tournament that saw him make a run to semifinals before falling to eventual champ Dom Morrison and outplaced both wrestlers that finished ahead of him in regionals. He’s one of the best sophomores in America and firmly in the mix to win a title. Caciolo is similarly talented and could make a real jump as a sophomore after a promising ninth grade season. Scott and the Sallit brothers also give Emmaus some depth for head coach Tom Best.

Liberty Hurricanes
Contenders
107: #23 Elijah Heimbach (So. 17-13)
114: #22 Jasiah Pagan (Sr. 24-12): D6
285: #24 Daunte Morrison (Sr. 25-11): D5, R6

One of the youngest teams in Pennsylvania, Liberty has one of the most exciting heavyweights in the state in Daunte Morrison. The standout defensive lineman is super aggressive and moves very well at his size, despite being a lighter heavyweight. Pagan and Heimbach are a pair of talented lightweights who will be leaders of this roster. Heimbach took his lumps last year as a 90-something pound freshman at 107, he’ll be closer to weight with a year of varsity experience, that often pays big dividends.